pentalogy

A pentalogy is a set or sequence of five works that share a common narrative universe, characters, or overarching theme. The term comes from the Greek penta-, five, and -logy, from logos meaning discourse or collection. In English, pentalogy is commonly spelled with that form, though pentology is also encountered.

A pentalogy may be planned as a five-part narrative arc from the outset or retroactively described after a fifth installment completes the cycle. Individual installments can be tightly integrated or function as standalone entries that contribute to a larger whole. The label is most often applied to literature, film, comics, and other serialized media, where continuity or a single creator’s vision unites the works.

Compared with related terms, a pentalogy is to a quintet of works as trilogy is to three, tetralogy to four, etc. The use of pentalogy is descriptive rather than prescriptive and may reflect marketing decisions, fan reception, or critical analysis. Some five-part cycles are finite and self-contained, while others are open-ended or later extended.

In scholarly and critical contexts, writers may specify whether a pentalogy is tightly plotted as a single narrative arc, or whether each part explores a different facet of a broader theme. Because the boundary between a five-part cycle and a loosely connected set of works can be blurry, the term is often used informally rather than as a fixed category.